The Assignment
by gossamer memories
Summary: An unexpected partnership leads to more than just friendship for Serenity and Endymion as they thrown together for the ride of their lives. AU. Review Please!
1. Cultural Ties

The Assignment

**Chapter 1: "Cult"ural Ties**

AN: This is my very first story...as in ever. I am so excited to actually be writing a story. I have always enjoyed reading fanfics; now I am actually writing them too! =) So, don't be shy, let me know what you think. Give me suggestions on character development, and any areas I might have left lacking. I may keep revising as I go. I posted this chapter earlier, but decided to do some major reconstruction before the release of Chapter 2. Enjoy! I am also looking for a Beta Reader, so send me a PM if you're interested. (Don't forget to review!) =]

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon=not mine

* * *

It was all Marley's fault, plain and simple.

Then again, Marley was dead, and it really wasn't fair to blame her current position on a dead man. The syndicate really didn't care who they hurt, as long as they brought in their bounty.

Serenity cursed under her breath, shaking her long silver hair out of her azure orbs. Changing her position slightly, she turned her thoughts to the events that led up to her current captivity. As the commanding general of the Third Lunar Army, it was her job to be prepared. Her troops relied on her to keep them safe. The mission to Earth was supposed to have been reconnaissance only, the Black Moon Cult had been threatening the lunar court for far too long, and there was a rumor that Diamond, the leader of the cult, was ill. Serenity had volunteered on pure impulse, anxious to see the glimmering cities and beautiful forests of Earth firsthand. Instead, she had ended up in some backwater part of Old London tracking that fool Diamond's lackey through the sewers. How she hated Rubeus. But she was getting off track. Yes, it was Marley's fault. If it weren't for Marley, Serenity would have seen that attack coming.

Normally, she could handle any attack, but Marley had talked her into "blowing off some steam." Tracking a loser was one thing; actually engaging in combat with a youma was something completely different. Unfortunately, that is exactly what ended up happening. Somewhere in the slums, they had run across a nest of particularly nasty youma. Instead of leaving, which would have been smart, Marley thought it would be nice to show them a bit of Lunarian power. In the end, Marley ended up trading punches with a particularly nasty youma while Serenity dealt with three of its slightly less appealing friends. Exhausted after their sparring match, Marley had dragged Serenity into this dilapidated old pub situated just outside the slums. Sometime during the night, someone had drugged Serenity's drink, and as Marley dragged her half-conscious body back to their transport they had been ambushed. All serenity remembered was a black uniform with a sun emblazoned on the shoulder, the uniform of The Syndicate. Then, everything went black.

It was three days before she woke up again, and now, six hours later, she was staring at the same wall she had seen when her eyes first opened, trying to ignore Marley's dead corpse propped up in the corner. Too bad the stench of rotting flesh kept sneaking up her nose. One thought kept running through her head. She was alone, utterly alone on this practically medieval planet. Marley had been her only contact here; with him gone, she was on her own.

Serenity was shackled to a pole in the middle of a small dark room. A small, rust-covered door served as the only entrance or exit to the filthy pit. The only source of light was from a miniscule, barred skylight directly overhead. Even in the dim light, Serenity could still make out the blood splatters covering the concrete walls. Her hands and feet were bound with heavy metal chain, and a strange metal collar hung about her neck. Escape seemed impossible. Normally, she would have just used magic to destroy her bonds, but the strange alloy that composed the collar and shackles seemed to be draining any magic energy she managed to collect. It must have been some Syndicate trick.

Serenity's thoughts turned to The Syndicate and what she had learned about them in her studies on the moon. The most efficient, deadly team of assassins and bounty hunters on Earth, The Syndicate prided itself in never having lost a bounty. It was doubtful Serenity would be able to escape while she was in their care; however, someone had hired them to capture her. She could only hope that escape would be easier once she was handed over to the scumbags.

The rusty metal door on the side of the room opened to reveal a small man in an ebony syndicate uniform. Serenity watched helplessly as the man bent over to look her in the eyes, whispered "goodnight sweetheart," and hit her hard on the top of the head with his plasma sword, knocking her unconscious once again.

* * *

Midnight blue eyes scanned the skyline of Old London, looking for any abnormalities. From his perch atop the Crystal Palace Transmitter, Endymion could see the entire city. It was a beautiful sight to behold, if not a little forlorn. Endymion knew every inch of the skyline in Old London. He had sat atop this same tower countless times, waiting for a mission to start, or simply watching the stars. It had been hard to convince his parents to let him join the Royal Terran Army. As the crown prince of Earth, he was the sole heir to the throne, but he had convinced them that fighting this war would help him hone his leadership skills. He was currently the leader of a top-secret task force specializing in magical threats. He enjoyed chasing rebel groups down, and eliminating possible threats to his people. Somehow, it made him feel connected to them. As much as he enjoyed his work however, nothing was more tedious than a six-month hiatus in the slums. Truthfully, the only thing keeping him in this dilapidated town was his duty to the army.

Endymion was tired of Old London. His task force had been assigned to the Black Moon Cult six months ago, and they were still chasing rabbit trails all over the ancient city. He had been in every hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the city, explored every nook and cranny of the vast sewer system, scoured every inch of the expansive subway network, and there was still no sign of the infamous Diamond.

He was almost ready to be reassigned….almost. Endymion ran his fingers through his silky black hair. He had to remind himself that tonight was different. There was an occult ritual going down at the old St. Paul's Cathedral ruins. Their source had identified the acting mage as Diamond. This was their lucky break. If they could catch Diamond actually performing the ritual, they would have enough substantial evidence to put him away for good. Diamond would never hurt anyone again once he was locked in Scotland Yard's maximum-security prison. Not even the most skilled mages could escape the confinement spells placed on the cell blocks there.

Old London had once been a thriving city full of promise and culture, but ever since the revolution in 3365, nothing had been the same. Now, the ancient city was a refuge for the scum of this planet, like the Black Moon Cult. New London, separated from old London by a thick wall of polycarbonate glass and a powerful magic force field, had evolved after the revolution as the new central hub of Europe. Endymion hated the wall, but it was necessary to protect the citizens of New London from scum like Diamond. It was strange how some things still survived, even after the revolution.

Endymion glanced up at the enormous clock tower once known as Big Ben. Though its face had long since been extinguished, the clock still kept time. It was half past eleven, time for him to start his mission. Little did he know that this mission would change his life forever.


	2. Fated Meeting

The Assignment

Chapter 2: Fated Meeting

AN: So here is chapter 2! Chapter 1 has been revised, so if you haven't read the updated version, you might consider it! Let me know what you think, and review, review, review!

* * *

Endymion swept through the air as he plummeted from the top of the crystal palace transmitter. Base-jumping was the quickest and quietest way to enter the courtyard of the cathedral. With the agility of a cat, Endymion pulled his chute and landed softly on the ledge of a nearby building and awaited the arrival of the rest of his team. It was 11:30. They had exactly 29 minutes before the ceremony began.

Exactly 3 minutes after Endymion's arrival he was joined by a tall man with tanned skin and long silver hair. Kunzite's silver-grey eyes narrowed severely as he took in the somber landscape. With a look of calculated indifference he glanced towards Endy and bowed his head in a slight gesture of respect, but otherwise remained silent.

With 22 minutes remaining, two blonde men eased over the rooftop of the adjacent building, overlooking the opposite side of St. Paul's. The Blue-eyed Jadeite gave a good natured thumbs-up to his comrades across the way while the sharp-witted, green-eyed Zoicite merely glanced toward Endymion and Kunzite then began to type furiously at a small, hand-held computer in his hand. They had exactly two minutes before their plan could take action.

At exactly 11:40, things began to get a little more interesting.

"All right guys, Nephrite is our inside man tonight," Endymion said into his microscopic transmitter. "No matter what happens, he gets out safe and sound. I don't want any issues like what happened in Prague, got it?"

"Yes sir," the three men replied with a tone of sincerity and respect. No one wanted a repeat of Prague: six men dead and three in the hospital because of one idiot's lousy mistake.

"Kunzite and I will go in first and take the left flank. Jed, you take the upper left side and await my signal. Zoi, you take the right hand side on the ground level," Endymion had always been good at giving directions. "Our goal is to actually catch them in the act, so we have to wait for the ritual to actually begin."

A brief "understood" was heard from the four men before they gracefully took their places hidden throughout the church, all looking down on the site of the ritual.

In the middle of the former sanctuary, a dais had been constructed of black marble. Six-foot-tall black and gold candles surrounded the dais, and hot, melted wax ran rivers across the cold, white floor. Suddenly, the room burst into life as ten cloaked figures entered into the room. The last to enter wore deep red robes, and carried an unconscious young woman dressed in a white dress toward the dais.

Endymion's eyes sparked with hatred as he took in the scene before him. The black moon cult had often been accused of using human sacrifice in their rituals, he just hoped today's ceremony would go differently than the last few. With baited breath he watched as the ritual began, it was time.

Slowly, the figure in red lowered the girl to the ground in the center of the dais. After chanting in some strange forbidden language, the figure stood and approached a stand holding an ancient and crumbling book. In a deep, somber voice as slimy as a snake's, the figure spoke.

"My comrades," he hissed, "the time has come to rid ourselves of the plague of the white moon. For too long we have sat in shadow while the children of Selene prospered. With the sacrifice of this moonchild, a curse will be placed on all Lunarians. Let the rites begin, brothers and sisters, reveal yourselves!"

With a swift movement, each member of the clan slipped of their hoods. Endymion and his men held their breath collectively as Nephrite's hood came down to reveal his emerald eyes and long auburn hair, but the others were too immersed in the ceremony to notice the outsider. Swiftly, the leader's hood was removed. Greasy white hair hung limply to the shoulders of a gruesome man of approximately thirty. His purple eyes surveyed the scene with grim satisfaction, as he slowly drew a long saber from the confines of his cloak.

This was not good.

* * *

Serenity slowly awoke from unconsciousness. With apprehension, she took in her surroundings. She definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore. Dressed in some kind of medieval gown, she was lying on a black stone dais, surrounded by figures in strange black cloaks. Slowly, she peaked through her eyelashes at the people around her. First, she noted Sapphire of the Black Moon Cult, Diamond's brother, and second in command. His deep blue hair and penetrating eyes made him quite good looking, but Serenity could never get over the fact that their families had hunted each other for years. She must be in the middle of some cultic ritual. Bored, Serenity moved on to study the next face. Deep green hair and hideous purple lipstick could only belong to one person, Emerald. Serenity almost gagged as she saw Emerald wink at the man to her left, a man with bright red hair and crimson eyes. Now this was interesting. If Rubeus was here, Diamond was sure to be close by. As second in command, Rubeus's sole job was to protect his leader at any and all costs.

Serenity became painfully aware of the sound of clanking metal as a sword was removed from its scabbard and raised high in the air. She turned her head ever so slightly in order to look at the owner of the sword. She swore under her breath, as she took in the sight of Diamond in all of his dark and twisted glory preparing to plunge a rusty dagger into her chest.

Diamond held the sword high above his head and prepared to plunge it into Serenity's unconscious form. With conviction in his voice, he shouted, "This war was begun by blood, and by blood it will end!"

Just as Serenity prepared to roll out of the way and avoid the plunging blade, a soft pop was heard, and the blade was shot out of Diamond's hand. That's when chaos took over.

Abruptly, Serenity sprang from her prostrate position, knocking Diamond on his back with a swift kick to his ankles. With practiced precision, she flipped into the air, catching his discarded sword mid-flight, and landed in perfect fighting stance. "Like Hell it will!" she stated darkly. Just then, four figures dressed in black military gear stormed the room with guns blazing. Serenity dove out of the way, barely avoiding a ricocheting bullet, and watched helplessly as Diamond and that imbecile Rubeus crawled out the back of the sanctuary and escaped.

In the time it took her to watch her target flee from the room, Diamond's men had engaged the invaders in combat. Diamond's men attacked simultaneously, looking for a weakness. Still weak from the injuries she had suffered earlier, Serenity was a little slower on her feet than normal. Positive that she had at least one concussion, and still trapped by that stupid collar, she was forced to rely completely on her physical abilities.

Despite her handicaps, Serenity fought valiantly, stabbing quite a few and discouraging quite a few others before they finally started improvising. With a quickness that only magic could have sprung, a candelabra shot out from the magic circle, hitting her across the middle, knocking her off her feet. Just when Serenity thought the end was near, she was saved by an angel with jet-black hair. Deep Blue eyes were the last things she saw before the strength of her concussion pulled her into calming blackness once again.

* * *

"This war was begun by blood, and by blood it will end!" stated Diamond with conviction. Endymion found it hard to believe that this man was actually crazy enough to believe this junk.

As Diamond slowly raised the sword to plunge it into the unconscious girl, Endymion gave the signal to his team. The almost silent pop of Zoicite's sniper rifle could be heard, and then time seemed to slow down. The young woman on the dais sprang to life, her silver hair flailing around her in a waterfall of waves as she knocked Diamond off his feet with ease. With a dexterity that surprised every occupant of the room, she flipped into the air and caught the sword Zoicite had just shot out of Diamonds hand, and landed in a near-perfect fighting stance.

"Like Hell it will," she stated in a dark voice. Suddenly, the whole room was in chaos. Endymion and his men stormed into the room as Diamond's men attacked the girl. Gunshots could be heard as some members of the cult returned fire. Endymion lost sight of the girl as he was engulfed in a shower of molten lead, and was forced to quickly dispatch a few of the cult members before turning just in time to see Diamond and Rubeus escape through the back of the room.

Intent on following them, Endy headed toward the exit, only to be stopped by three or four cult members magically flinging candelabras at the young woman. She moved quickly, but it was obvious that she had previously been injured. Even with the advantage of surprise, she could not take on all of them at once. Again time seemed to slow as a candelabra came into contact with the girl's stomach, sending her flying into a nearby wall. Quickly, Endymion rushed toward the girl's assailants, using the power of his golden crystal to magically contain them. Looking down at the woman, he saw her eyes slowly become unfocused as she lost consciousness, a steam of blood running down her face from a gash on her forehead.

Endymion and his men made quick work of blocking the exits. Then, with the agility and grace of trained military men, they rounded up the offenders, knocking out those that put up a fight.

Furious, Endymion kicked the wall and screamed in frustration. Their failure tonight meant six months of useless work, six months of horror and monotony all for nothing. Diamond had escaped, and both Nephrite and Jadeite had suffered minor injuries. Furious, Endymion again surveyed the scene until his eyes rested upon the unconscious woman near the wall.

She was twisted on the cold, hard floor, her silver hair pooling around her like a shining halo, a stream of moonlight illuminating her skin through the broken window. She was absolutely ethereal. With a soft sigh, Endymion bent down and checked her pulse. A steady heartbeat told him that she was merely sleeping. She would be fine.

Exhausted from their fight, Endymion and his men handed the members of the black moon cult that hadn't managed to escape over to the police, and then began to pack up their things.

"What of the girl?" asked Kunzite suddenly, glancing at the beauty resting in the corner. "We can not, as gentlemen, simply leave her here."

"Kunzite is right," Nephrite stated, "and I would not trust a hospital in Old London to treat her wounds. Who knows what kind of disease she could contract."

"She comes with us then," Endymion stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Zoi, you will treat her wounds when we get back to base. Until then, I will leave Jed in charge of her. We can leave her at the hospital in New London after we arrive. Let's go."

With nothing left to say, the men grabbed their things and left the scene. Slowly and carefully, Jed picked up his precious package and headed toward their temporary home.

* * *

AN: So that's it for now. Let me know what you think. Constructive Criticism is always appreciated. I have a bit of trouble keeping my male characters from sounding girly, so if anyone has any advice, let me know! :)


	3. Introductions

The assignment

**Chapter 3: Introductions**

AN: Here is Chapter 3! I am really happy with where this story is going so far. Let me know what you think and enjoy!

* * *

A soft moan escaped Serenity's lips as she slowly regained consciousness. Sitting up slightly, Serenity took in her surroundings. Once again she found herself in a strange place. She was lying in a large bed in a dark room. There was a single window above the bed, as well as a large metal door on the opposite wall. Her clothes had been changed, and her wounds dressed. Despite the medical attention, Serenity still felt as if she had been hit by a truck.

"I see you're awake," Said a curious voice from the shadowy corner, causing Serenity to nearly jump out of her skin. Slowly, a man with blond hair and inquisitive green eyes stepped into the light. "I didn't mean to startle you," he declared, holding up his hands in a pacifying manner, "you're safe here. I am Zoicite, your doctor for all intents and purposes while we are here."

"Where exactly is here?" Serenity asked with a bit of trepidation. She knew absolutely nothing about this man, and she was still wary of any sudden movements.

"You are currently on the 96th floor of the expansive Old London military base for the Royal Terran Army," Zoicite stated with pride. "My official title is Lord General Zoicite, second in command of Prince Endymion's royal guard."

At hearing the location of her surroundings Serenity's heart fell. The number one rule on this mission was to remain invisible. Relationships between the moon and Earth had long been shaky. The last thing Lunaria needed at the moment was a war started because Terra thought her kingdom was spying on them.

"Why am I here?" Serenity asked, carefully guarding her expression and holding back a few Lunarian curses that would definitely give away her identity.

"We found you in the St. Paul's Cathedral ruins. The Black Moon Cult was planning on using you as some sort of sacrifice I think. You gave them quite a run for their money though. Tell me, where did a small girl like you learn to fight like that?" Zoicite prodded, he had always been the inquisitive type, and this young woman intrigued him. She was an anomaly in so many ways from her strange accent to the startling hue of her long silver hair. Zoicite only knew of one other person with hair similar to this woman's and that was Kunzite. In fact, they shared many similarities in appearance. Perhaps there was more to this girl's striking features than what was evident on the surface?

"I have my ways," Serenity stated mysteriously, " Now if you don't mind, I'm still feeling a bit peaked. I hit my head fairly hard, and I'm afraid I need a bit more rest." _I have to get out of here before Endymion and his men realize exactly who I am, _Serenity thought.

Taken aback by the way this young girl suddenly took control of the conversation, Zoicite could not help goad her a little more.

"One more thing," Zoicite prodded, "Diamond, before you woke up, said something about you being a moon-child, what did he mean by that exactly?" Intrigued by the way she paled visibly at the mention of the moon; Zoicite decided it might be best to investigate this woman farther before asking any more questions.

"On second thought," Zoi said, reaching for the door, "save the explanations for later. Prince Endymion will be returning shortly, and I believe he is anxious to learn about you as well. Get some rest; someone will be in to check on you shortly." Without waiting for a response, Zoicite swept out of the room, intent on finding his prince and fellow generals.

* * *

As soon as the door was shut with a resounding click, Serenity sprang out of bed, blushing slightly at the way she was dressed. Whoever had dressed her had decided to put her in a lacy nightgown that only came to her mid thigh and left her hair down to flow to her hips in waves of pure silver. She supposed she looked sexy, but this wasn't exactly the ideal outfit for escaping a heavily guarded military complex. Not only was she indecent; she was fairly certain that humans did not normally go out of doors in such risqué clothing. Serenity winced as she felt a sharp pain in her side, damn broken ribs. She would have to be careful or she would puncture a lung. Serenity desperately needed some clothes, so she attempted to reach into her subspace pocket and retrieve the ones she knew she kept stored there for emergencies. That's when she noticed the thin metal collar that still hung around her neck.

Serenity nearly screamed in frustration, cursing Selene and Chronos to the high heavens as she yanked at the cold metallic ring with absolutely no results. "I guess I'll have to do this the hard way," Serenity whispered through clenched teeth as she quickly scanned the room for possible escape routes.

The room she was in was large and bare. Aside from a small window located above the bed, there was no light-source. Her only option for a weapon was the bed sheet, or a piece of broken glass if she could manage to break the window. On the 96th floor, there was no way she could escape through the window. With no time to waste, Serenity made another quick evaluation of the room and got to work.

Quickly, Serenity slammed the window open, and started tearing the sheet in two, keeping one long strip for herself and tying the other to the bedpost and hanging it out the window to make it look like she had escaped that way. Serenity then hid in the shadows near the door, as she had seen Zoicite do earlier, and waited.

* * *

Endymion was intrigued. When Zoicite had first told him that the woman was awake, he knew there was something different about her. He wanted to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl, and figure out just exactly how she had ended up at the ceremony last night.

There was also the issue of her many similarities to Kunzite. The son of a space trader and a Lunarian duchess, Kunzite had the characteristics of both a Lunarian and a Terran. Shortly after his birth, his true identity had been discovered and his mother had sent him away to live with his father on Earth while she had remained on the moon with her husband. It was only after his father's death in a shipping accident that Kunzite had began his training as a member of the royal guard. With no familial ties, he had thrown himself into his military career. Even today, his silver hair was a constant reminder of the Lunarian heritage he had never been a part of. Perhaps there was some connection between Kunzite and this mysterious girl who shared his foreign characteristics.

After hearing the details of Zoi's entire contact with the girl, Endy decided to meet this enigma of a woman himself without waiting for his generals. There was no point in waiting around bored while his generals completed their duties. He could always fill them in later. In the mean time, this was going to be one interesting conversation.

* * *

Serenity tensed as she heard movement in the hall. Slowly, she crouched down in the shadows, becoming as small as she could. The door swung open with a faint creak, and a tall man entered the room. Upon seeing the open window, and the sheet hanging out, he swore and ran toward the window. This is when Serenity made a run for it, tearing out the door and slamming it behind her. With a satisfying click she locked the door and took off down the hall towards the stairwell.

* * *

Endymion swore upon seeing the open window across the room. What kind of a crazy person would try to escape from a room on the 96th floor with only a single bed sheet to help them down? Fearing the worst, Endymion flew across the room and craned his neck out the window, only to see the sheet flapping in the wind a few feet below him. That's when he heard the door slam.

For the second time in less than a minute Endymion swore loudly as her ran back to the door, only to find it locked. That little minx had pulled a fast one on him. Chuckling to himself, Endy took out his spare key, and contacted the other generals via their telepathic link.

'_You guys aren't going to believe this, but our guest has decided to make a break for it,'_ Endy said to his generals, '_best not to let her leave the building.'_ From what Zoi had said, the girl's wounds were far too serious for her to make it far. Endymion couldn't be too careless though, the girl obviously had some kind of military experience, and if her odd connection to Kunzite was any indicator, she would be a fierce opponent in battle. As quickly as he could, Endy unlocked the door and headed strait for the armory two floors down. If she had any sense at all, she would head there first.

* * *

Serenity flew through the door of the stairwell and shut it firmly behind her, using the other half of the sheet to tie the door shut. She almost laughed in relief when she saw the signs posted on each floor telling which offices were located there. She had a lot of flights to go, and she couldn't very well go out in public looking the way she did. She needed clothes and some sort of weapon to defend herself if need be. On the 94th floor she found what she needed: the armory. Quietly, she peered through the small glass window of the stairwell just in time to see a group of Terran soldiers run by on full alert. Once the coast was clear, Serenity snuck out the door and found the door to the armory left wide open after the soldiers had grabbed their weapons.

Serenity smirked as she entered the room; too intent on gathering the supplies she needed to notice the figure crouched behind the door. Without hesitation, she reached for a plasma sword. Just as she curled her fingers around the handle, she felt the pressure of cold steel against her back and heard a deep voice utter two demanding words.

* * *

"Drop it," Endymion ordered as he pressed his handgun into the girl's back. Slowly, the girl set the blade down on the table. "Turn around slowly with your hands in the air," He commanded, noticing her visibly flinch at the harsh tone he was using.

The girl looked a little worse for wear. There was a large bruise on her forehead where her head had struck the wall and she had several gashes on her arms and legs, as well as bandaging around her middle from a few broken ribs, but it wasn't the state of her wounds that grabbed his attention the most, it was the expression on her face. Most people would look at least a little intimidated when they had a gun pointed at their chest, but she just looked strait into his eyes, a look of cool confidence on her features and a slight smirk on her lips. The similarities to Kunzite were just too much.

Slowly, her eyes traveled up and down his body, paying special attention to the royal insignia embroidered on his shoulder and the gun currently inches from her frame. Without warning, she reached her hand up, pushed the barrel of his gun in and removed the entire top half of his gun!

Endymion was speechless.

"Now, now," she said in a scolding, slightly mocking tone, "it's not nice to point guns at people your highness." Then, in a much more serious tone she said, "In all seriousness, you should really know the weak points of every gun you carry," as she tossed the top half of the gun on the table behind her, next to the discarded plasma sword.

* * *

Serenity could hardly hold back her laughter, here she was standing in front of the second most powerful man on this planet, and she had rendered him speechless! Once again, she did a once over of the man. He was probably the most gorgeous male specimen she had ever seen, and she had seen a lot as an eligible princess back on the moon. His silky black hair hung over his midnight blue eyes in a way that made her want to run her fingers through it, and his beautiful mouth hung open slightly as he looked at the remnants of his now useless gun still pointing at her chest. He was tall, perhaps 6'2", and well built. Serenity almost shivered imagining the muscles underneath of the tactical gear he had on. Yes, he was definitely gorgeous.

"I'm Serenity, by the way," She stated, smiling slightly, at this point she felt it best not to make an enemy out of this man. "Sorry for the escape attempt, but I never really was the most patient of people."

The prince snapped out of his stupor then, and tossed the gun behind his head. They stood there just looking at each other for a moment before a loud click could be heard.

"Don't move," a tall man with silver hair stated as he pointed a high-powered rifle right at her head." Serenity just rolled her eyes and looked at Prince Endymion, who seemed to have an almost amused look in his eyes.

"Bit excessive don't you think?" Serenity deadpanned.

"You're right," the young prince said, "Kunz, seriously? Lower the weapon, we don't mean the girl any harm. She obviously is just confused about the whole situation."

As "Kunz" lowered his weapon the prince turned toward Serenity and bowed. "I am Prince Endymion of the Terran Kingdom," he said, "I am sorry for the lack of hospitality in this place. It is only a temporary base of operation, and we are planning to leave tomorrow. It is an honor to meet you, Serenity."

"The pleasure is all mine," Serenity stated, discretely running her eyes along the handsome frame of the prince, "now, if you don't mind, could I possibly have a change of clothes?"

* * *

In response to Serenity's question, Endymion briefly ran his eyes down her form, blushing slightly at the lack of clothing. He had to swiftly banish the images that popped into his head of Serenity wearing other provocative ensembles. _Remind me to never let Jadeite dress a young lady again,_ he thought towards Kunzite who immediately started chuckling to himself as he rolled his eyes and stepped outside to congratulate Jade on his idiocy once again.

Pulling himself out of his stupor, Endymion nodded his head in the affirmative as he searched through an armoire in the corner and pulled out a female uniform similar to those of his four generals.

"This should do for the time being," he said, "We are leaving at 0600 hours for New London. Make sure you are ready to leave by then. We had planned on leaving you at the hospital there, but can take you as far as Terra palace if you would like. Either way I suggest you get some rest, I will show you to your room."

Serenity gratefully took the clothing from Endymion and followed him to the place where she could rest her eyes for the night. Tomorrow would certainly be an interesting day.

* * *

AN: Well, That's it for Chapter 3. As always, feel free to give me any type of feedback you deem necessary. I love love love reviews! Oh, and just to clear this up, Sapphire is Diamond's brother and second in command. Rubeus is just Diamond's body guard.

Special thanks to all of my reviewers from the last chapter. Lola, Kaylynn, jessicam242, SerenityMoonGodness, Unknown For Some Reason, and Paramecio: Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!


	4. Terran Territory

AN: Special thanks to my BETA NekoLoki for the fantastic editing job. Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter three. I am sorry it has been so long between updates. I am a busy nursing student and have zero free time right now. As always, any suggestions or critiques are greatly appreciated. I am also curious to know where my readers would like this story to go in the future. Thank you for your support and enjoy!

Chapter 4

Terran Territory

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Serenity for the shimmering glory of New London. Being an outsider with no credentials, she had never been allowed inside the gleaming city. Now, speeding through the streets on the back of Kunzite's motorcycle, she could not believe that she ever thought Earth medieval. New London was the epitome of technological advancement.

Serenity tightened her grip around Kunzite's waist as they rounded a sharp corner and suddenly they were in an underground tunnel. Talking was impossible on the bike, but Serenity got the distinct impression that they were traveling deeper into the city than most normal civilians were allowed. The tunnel began to twist and turn as the gleaming limestone walls gave way to reflective black onyx and finally to glass walls as they began to pass underground garages full of military equipment. After riding for nearly an hour, they stopped at a large gate heavily guarded by no less than twenty soldiers.

There was no point in trying to escape now. She was in far too deep. Serenity tried to keep up as the five men passed the ominous gate without a second glance. After walking through an extensive maze of hallways, Jadeite, who she had learned was the most friendly of the five dropped back to speak with her.

"You doing okay?" he asked with concern lacing his tone, "I know it is kind of disorienting the first time you make the trip. Right now we are actually in the basement of Terra Palace. We are going to try to get some R&R before we go see the king and queen this afternoon."

"Wait, do you mean to tell me that I am required to appear before the king and queen?" Serenity squeaked in a less than lady like manner, " I can't do that, it would be completely improper!"

"Just calm down," Jadeite replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's only a formality. Don't worry, we'll find you something to wear and you won't even have to speak. Just bow and stand in the background. We usually let Endy do most of the talking anyway."

A little relieved Serenity nodded, only half listening as she thought about the predicament she was in. Not only was she alone on Earth, she was in the Terran Palace. The most heavily guarded strong hold on the planet, Terra Palace was rumored to have more magical confinement spells on its walls than the white moon palace back home in Lunaria. If they somehow found out who she was, she was sure that it would not turn out well for her or Lunaria. The last thing that they needed right now was an interplanetary war and her presence within this palace could lead to just that.

Careful to remain as inconspicuous as possible with her unusual physical characteristics, Serenity followed Jadeite and the others into a large room filled with all kinds of tactical gear and equipment.

"Let me take a look at the collar," Zoicite spoke to her for the first time since she had met him in the room at the Old London military base, "I'm fairly certain we have the tools necessary to remove it here."

Serenity turned her back and lifted her Silver mane off her neck to give the icy soldier access to the locking mechanism and was surprised when moments later she felt the bothersome collar drop to the floor. The effect was immediate as she felt all of her magic energy flow back into her veins. Her wounds began to heal themselves and she immediately started to get readings on each of the magic levels of the five men before her.

Endymion of course had the most magical aptitude; being the prince of this planet he most likely had access to its power crystal much like she had access to the silver crystal back home. Next in magical ability was Jadeite who possessed psychic abilities she had only seen rivaled in her friend Rei, the princess of Mars. Following Jadeite came Kunzite and this is where Serenity visibly blanched. Not only was his power remarkably similar to her own, but she could feel a blood connection between them. How in the world could a Terran general have a blood connection to her? She had no distant relatives. Serenity's thoughts were quickly taken away from the silver-haired general when she felt a prodding at the back of her mind from the auburn haired general that was the most enigmatic to her. They were all obviously powerful, but his power seemed to be unreadable. One moment his reading would be off the charts and the next it would be next to nonexistent. He must have trained long and hard to keep his magical ability a secret. It was obvious that none of these men were pushovers. Even Zoicite who possessed the least amount of Magical finesse of the five had more power than most of the generals in her army.

It was kind of disconcerting to suddenly be in the presence of such immense power. A lesser mage would have staggered under the weight of their abilities, but Serenity was determined to show no sign of weakness.

With all the control she could muster, Serenity gently pushed the prodding magical energies out of her mind and put up an impenetrable barrier around her so that they wouldn't break into her thoughts.

" Is everything okay?" Serenity asked innocently as she turned her head to the side, a fake expression of confusion plastered over her face.

Endymion was first to snap out of his stupor, "Everything is fine," he said while looking at her with an enigmatic expression on his face, "Let me show you to a guestroom so that you can rest up and prepare to meet mother and father."

* * *

Endymion was losing his mind. That was the only way to explain the immense waves of power that were flowing off the petite girl in front of him. The moment that collar had fallen from her neck a wave of magical energy had shot out of her rivaling even his own. He could still feel her gently prodding at his magical barriers as they made their way through the gleaming marble halls of Terra Palace. They had left the generals behind some time ago and were walking in silence towards the room where Serenity would be staying.

The fact that she was so gifted with magic was bothering him more than it ought to. He could feel the same warm, pure energy flowing from her as that coming from Kunzite, but there was something more powerful about this energy, like it was raw and unrefined, while Kunzite's was second-hand. He would have to be extremely cautious around someone so gifted. If they had known the extent of her ability, they might have thought twice before bringing her into the palace.

"Here you are," Endy stated with more coldness in his voice than he normally let through, "Someone will meet you here in three hours so that you can be introduced to the king and queen. I will send someone in shortly with proper clothing for you."

"That really won't be necessary," Serenity said with an obvious amount of surprise at his lack of geniality, "I have appropriate attire."

Endymion just raised an eyebrow and nodded, as he turned and left without so much as a goodbye. That woman was going to be the death of him. Whenever he was around her his entire body was on fire, he couldn't concentrate, and she was always quick to take him down a notch. It was really annoying. He knew practically nothing about her, and yet she treated him with an equality and lack of respect that even his generals would not dare to show. It was as if she saw them as complete equals. Just who did this Serenity woman think she was?

Deciding he needed to cool off, Endymion headed towards the palace pool to have a quick swim and rid his mind of the enigmatic stranger that had come into his life.

* * *

Serenity sighed as she locked the door to her chambers behind her, rubbing her temples in a repetitive fashion. This situation couldn't get any worse. Not only was she at the mercy of the entire Terran court, but she was also all alone. She needed to contact her mother and let her know exactly what was going on.

With a practiced motion, Serenity summoned a small hand-held transmitter and pushed the key code in for her mother's private study. There was no sense in alerting the entire Lunarian court to her predicament. Just because she wasn't the oldest of her mother's children didn't mean that the court wouldn't be out for blood if anything were to happen to her.

Slowly, the image of a tired looking queen emerged on the screen. It was the dead of night at the moon palace, and she must have woken her mother up.

"What do you want Serenity Dianna?" her mother asked in a no nonsense tone, "you are three days late on your check in and then you call on the emergency line in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?"

At the harsh look her mother was giving her Serenity had a hard time not breaking down into tears on the spot. Instead she took a deep breath and told her mother about everything from waking up to Marley's dead corpse to her last encounter with the prince of Earth and her current lodgings within the Terran Palace. After listening in silence for a while, Queen Selene took a deep breath and released it before beginning to speak.

"I had a feeling that everything was not going as planned," she said in a calm tone of voice, "try to remain as inconspicuous as possible, and I will send the Sailor Senshi to retrieve you tomorrow. In the mean time, I will try to contact King Demetrius and Queen Gaia to see if we cannot open up some line of communication just in case. When the senshi arrive, we will discuss contingency plans to remove you from the palace, but I am afraid they will not be allowed under the magical dome of New London. Check back in with me after you have met the King and Queen and we will try to figure a way out of this. And Serenity…."

"Yes mother?" Serenity asked with a bit of apprehension.

"Mind your manners," her mother said, "no matter if they know or not you are still a princess of Lunaria and should act as such."

"Yes mother," Serenity said and with that their connection was severed.

Sere spent the rest of her time alone preparing for her meeting with the Terran royalty. After searching through her subspace pocket for some time she finally found a long flowing dress of white silk with a deep blue sash about the middle that fell into a long train at her feet. It was backless, and she placed her silver curls so that a few tendrils cascaded down her pale skin while the rest were perched prettily atop her head in an intricate knot. Finally, she placed a delicate chain around her neck with her beautiful silver crystal attached to the end. To finish up the ensemble she stepped into blue high heels that matched the color of her sash perfectly and placed a small amount of lip-gloss on her lips. It was time.

Shortly thereafter, a soft knock was heard at the door behind her. Squaring her shoulders Serenity stood up and opened the door to reveal none other than the amiable Jadeite. Dressed in a formal military uniform, he looked quite dashing with his medals and decorations shining in the sunlight. Jadeite discreetly ran his eyes up and down her frame before letting out a low whistle and gesturing with his head for her to follow him.

"You look absolutely stunning," he said, ever the charmer, "had I known how well you cleaned up I would have hit on you earlier."

Serenity just smiled and shook her head. She liked Jadeite. His carefree spirit and charming smile made it easy to relax around him. She supposed it was for that very reason that Jadeite had been sent to collect her. People were more likely to be candid with their speech when they felt comfortable.

"You give me too much credit," Serenity said, "I put extra effort into my appearance since I am going to be in the presence of royalty. I do not normally care for formal dress."

"Pity," Jadeite replied, "it suits you." He then proceeded to wink at her and take her arm as he led her towards the throne room. "Make sure that you bow when you are introduced to the King and Queen," he said, "I don't know how well you know the protocols of court, but the stiffs there will tear you apart for the slightest mistake. Just try not to stand out too much and you should be fine."

Serenity barely acknowledged what he was saying as she was lost in her thoughts once again. Jadeite was being modest when he said that they would tear her apart. The courtiers on the moon were some of the most vicious people she knew. Any slip up no matter how small was considered unforgivable. After being subjected to their harsh judgmental eyes for the past twenty-one years she was sure that she could deal with a few sniveling courtiers here on Earth. It was the royalty that she was worried about.

Before long they had reached the massive doors of the throne room, but instead of going through the main gate as she had thought they would, they were escorted to the side entrance, where a small door led them strait to the middle of the room. Serenity felt the eyes of the courtiers scattered about the room tear into her back as she made her way to the center of the room and locked eyes with Prince Endymion standing a short distance behind is father's throne before looking towards the king and queen and sweeping into a low curtsy that was much too practiced and refined for a commoner.

Silently cursing herself for her momentary lapse, Serenity stood with her head held high. They would have already determined her to be of the upper class. It was too late for her to try to cover up her mistake.

"You look remarkably like your mother Princess Serenity of the White Moon," the queen said with a wry smile, "I thought it strange that your mother would contact me this afternoon after more than fifteen years of complete silence, but now it makes perfect sense; she was merely protecting her own."

Serenity opened her mouth to protest, but the queen beat her to it, "do not take me for a fool princess, I am not an idiot nor do I think that you are here as some sort of spy for the Lunarian race. That would be far too reckless a move, even for the White Moon."

At the mention of her title, Prince Endymion's eyebrows rose and a look of understanding flashed across his face. This explained everything: Her elevated manners, her connection to Kunzite, the immense magical ability that she possessed, even her extensive military knowledge. He was already planning on heading strait to the military archives and researching the Lunarian Royal family when his father began to speak.

"I am also no fool, young princess, I know that you are here on the Earth for a reason, and that you have hidden your identity from a member of the royal family which could be considered an act of espionage if I so desire. Please explain yourself, before I lose patience," The king declared in an ominous voice. It was obvious that he was not pleased with Serenity's presence in his throne room.

"Your majesty," Serenity began cautiously, "I do not wish to alarm you with my presence here. I am the youngest of four children and as such I was given the right to lead the Third Lunar Army. My most recent mission was to gather information on the Black Moon Cult, an organization that has been making threats against the Lunarian crown for some time now. My mission was reconnaissance only, and I was to remain here for six weeks total, but I was attacked, along with my escort, captured, and forced to participate in some dark ritual that would have resulted in my death had not Prince Endymion and his men saved me. I assure you that my people have no ill will toward the Terran throne. We were simply trying to protect ourselves from the impending threat of the Dark Moon Cult."

"Well then," the king said in a mocking tone, "it seems that we have a common enemy doesn't it? Perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement then. If you agree to help the people of Earth get rid of the Dark Moon Cult, we will refrain from removing your head. How does that sound?"

Serenity stared at the king in mild astonishment. This is not at all what she had been expecting. Somehow she knew that the next few days would be far from boring.


End file.
